Juvenile Probation

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​Dakota County Community Correction’s work with juvenile offenders is grounded in the principles of Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI), a national effort to reform the juvenile justice system to make the best use of resources and to deliver good outcomes for juveniles while assuring public safety.

In Dakota County, decisions such as which juvenile offenders should be placed in secured detention and who can effectively be monitored in the community are made using objective, quantifiable data.

Juvenile probation provides supervision, programs and services ranging from monitoring for low-risk/low-need offenders to long-term treatment in a secured residential setting. JDAI seeks to divert juveniles away from unnecessary or inappropriate detention by emphasizing community-based supervision and accountability for youth who do not pose risks to public safety or to fail to attend scheduled Court appearances.

The level of supervision assigned to each juvenile offender is based on his/her risk to re-offend and the factors that contributed to his/her criminal behavior. The risk assessment tool Corrections uses to determine supervision has been widely validated and is a standard for agencies across the country. The levels of supervision are:

Intensive SupervisionIntensive supervision is for juvenile offenders determined to be at greatest risk for re-offending. Offenders on Intensive Supervision are subject to daily contact with probation officers, curfews and regular urinalysis, and swift accountability/consequences for non-compliance.

Juvenile offenders who change address or phone numbers, or have any other questions should contact their probation officers.

High-Risk SupervisionThis level of supervision provides one-to-one contact for offenders identified as high-risk for re-offending. Individualized case plans address risk and needs while increasing offender strengths and competencies. Offenders may also be required to participate in specialized group programming which could include:

Juvenile offenders who change address or phone numbers, or have any other questions should contact their probation officers.

Monitoring/Low-Risk SupervisionJuvenile offenders assessed as low-risk for re-offending according to their offenses or by assessments are monitored by mail or by phone contact. They are expected to complete probation conditions with minimal intervention or direction from probation staff. Offenders assigned to this level of probation are not required to meet with probation officers for face-to-face meetings.

When conditions of probation have been completed, offenders send proof of completion to: